‘I am the one who issued the order to disarm guerillas, not Reynolds’

11 Apr, 2021 - 00:04 0 Views
‘I am the one who issued the order to disarm guerillas, not Reynolds’ Cde John Nyamupingidza

The Sunday News

FOLLOWING revelations in recent instalments of our Lest We Forget column by Bulawayo Town Clerk Retired Major Christopher Dube, pseudo name Cde Edmos Ngulube and Lieutenant-Colonel Jackson Joseph aka Flight-Lt Barnabas Sibanda that two senior Zipra commanders, Mike Reynolds (late Brigadier Charles Grey) and Cde Maseka (Wing Commander Zvidaka) ordered the disarming of troops at CGT1 and CGT2 in Zambia, a lot of debate has been generated as to why that happened. The guerillas were disarmed as part of security measures because Zapu President and Commander-In-Chief of Zipra, Dr Joshua Nkomo was set to visit the military installations.

Some have been saying both Cdes Reynolds and Maseka were supping with the enemy while others came to their defence and said it was wrong to accuse the dead. Those for the latter said such accusations should have been pointed out while they were still alive.

On Friday last week our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda spoke to one of the former Zipra commanders, Retired Colonel Waison Tshipa pseudo name Cde John Nyamupingidza to find out what really transpired during that period. Rtd Col Tshipa who then was the commander of CGT2 said it is true that orders to disarm the troops were issued and below he gives the reasons.

MS: Cde Nyamupingidza, were orders really issued to disarm the guerillas and by who?

Rtd Col Tshipa: Yes, it’s true that guerillas were told to lay down their arms and I am the one who suggested that because of the situation that was obtaining on the ground.

MS: That’s interesting, so Cdes Reynolds and Maseka acted on your suggestions?

Rtd Col Tshipa: Yes, yes. I had recommended that.

MS: So take us through what really happened?

Rtd Col Tshipa: Most of the things that were said by Cde Christopher Dube are very true, but there are some things that he and his colleagues were not aware of because they were juniors and still fresh from training in Angola. I was withdrawn from the front in 1977 having been deployed soon after completing training at Morogoro in 1974. I had operated under Zipa as well.

I joined the armed struggle in 1973. So when I was withdrawn from operations in 1977 I led a group of 29 cadres who were also chosen to go to Kohima to train as cadet officers under the tutelage of the Zambian military officers. It was an 18-month course, so we finished around September 1978. From Kohima the 30 of us were sent to CGT2 where I was appointed camp commander, taking over from Cde Tekenya who was later deployed to the front. Cde Tekenya was a veteran guerilla who had been trained at Morogoro.

When we arrived at CGT2 we found the camp teeming with trained guerillas but unarmed. Those guerillas had been trained at different camps such as CGT itself, remember there was CGT1, CGT2 and CCT. Others were coming from Mwembeshi and Luso in Angola. Those from Angola were the majority and a radicalized group as well. I think when we got to CGT2 there were about four battalions.

MS: What then were the problems?

Rtd Col Tshipa: Those guerillas at CGT2 were not happy that we were taking over command while coming from Kohima. Some of the things or grievances were very unreasonable like why we were changing the way we salute, most military forces salute through an open palm facing the front but the guerillas complained and said by doing that we were insinuating that phambili lamakhiwa.

This is because our palms as human beings are brown, not black. That was problem number one and a very contentious one for that matter. The other problem was that even among the senior guerillas there, they were not happy to be commanded by those coming from Kohima. When I took over command from Tekenya, I was given Cde Mugabe as my deputy.

Cde Mugabe had also trained at Morogoro and was in the group yabo Ananias (General Philip Valerio Sibanda). Cde Mugabe seemed to be sharing those contentious issues with the guerillas. Here I am giving you the background that led to the order to disarm the troops.

MS: Okay, go on.

Rtd Col Tshipa: The other thing that I changed when I took over command was that we do away with makeshift structures that is the grass thatched houses that were being used at the camps. I asked for tents and we were given by the Zipra Headquarters in Lusaka. This was because we were trying to bring some semblance of order and professionalism in the army. We were modernising Zipra.

I also went and spoke to the High Command including General Lameck Mafela (Lookout Masuku) that we should arm at least a battalion at my camp. The rule had been that only those in charge of security were armed and guerillas were only issued with weapons when being deployed to the front. Masuku bought into my reasoning and so guerillas of a battalion strength were armed.

What was going to happen was that when those were deployed to the front and left with their weapons, more weapons enough to arm a battalion were to be brought in. However, a day or two after the arrival of the weapons some elements within the guerillas attacked my tent, opened fire and razed it to the ground. That was at night.

MS: Where were you?

Rtd Col Tshipa: I was experienced enough as a guerilla to read the situation. What they did not know was that at night with my senior commanders such as Cdes Francis Zimuto, Malikongwa, Dubaduba we would also go up the gorge and put up there. So, the following morning they were shocked to see me alive. I called for a parade where I asked those who had shot at my tent to come forward.

It was just a routine exercise as nobody could have owned up to that. So, another tent was pitched for me and it was attacked again, this time they even used a bazooka. Badubula okuzwayo that time. Then on the third day we received a message that the party leader and Commander-In-Chief of Zipra, Dr Joshua Nkomo was going to visit the camps. He wanted to see troops from CGT1, CGT2, which was under me and those from CCT. These camps were not too far from each other. We were then visited by Cdes Mike Reynolds and Maseka.

I then told them of the situation obtaining on the ground. I made it clear that it was going to be risky to have Dr Nkomo at the camp while our troops were armed. I then suggested that we disarm them. I had assessed the situation and said if they had been trying to kill me, there was a chance that they could do that to Dr Nkomo.

MS: So your troops were lacking discipline?

Rtd Col Tshipa: It was not about discipline per se, there was the issue of the influence of veteran guerillas who did not want commanders from Kohima and also the issue of infiltration. We had Selous Scouts among us who had sailed through the net, went for training and were now sowing seeds of division among our ranks.

They were causing untold damage. So, to say Mike Reynolds and Maseka disarmed the guerillas so that they could be an easy target for the Rhodesians is not true. I am the one who gave recommendation to Mike who at that time was serving in the Zipra Military Intelligence. He had come to the camps to assess the situation since Dr Nkomo was coming.

To be continued next week when Rtd Col Tshipa talks about how they managed to fish out a Rhodesian agent within the camp. Rtd Col Tshipa will also talk about how some guerillas managed to corner and detain him accusing him of selling out.

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